Each year a large number of people, particularly children, are injured when their hands or fingers are crushed by a closing door. Children are extremely susceptible to injuries of this nature because of their inquisitive nature and diminutive size and strength combine to create many potentially dangerous situations. While many accidents occur which only cause relatively minor pain and bruises, other injuries involving relatively heavy doors can cause broken bones or even permanent disfigurement of the child. Additionally, when excessive force is used to close a door, the door slams shut. The use of excessive force to slam a door shut is not only dangerous, it can also cause damage to the door.